Local environmentalists are usually against development
projects on open land, but they're supporting the plan
for affordable housing in Pebble Beach, because they say
the need is obvious, and the site is appropriate. Kelly
Nix reports.

This week's intentional burn at Fort Ord may have
cleared hundreds of acres of land so leftover ordnance
can be removed, but it also created a huge smoke plume
and ash cloud that left quite a few people gasping and
complaining. Kelly also has that story.

The mother of a former Esalen employee has filed a
lawsuit claiming the new-age retreat center "hastened"
her son's death from cancer by denying him health
coverage. Kelly reports that one, too.

There was another geyser on Carmel Valley Road Tuesday
when a jinxed fire hydrant was knocked over for the
second time in four months. Chris Counts has the details
about the hunt for the hit-and-run driver.

Mothers everywhere will be saying, "I told you so," when
they read this one: An eight-year-old girl was lucky to
escape with her life Monday when she darted between
parked cars on Dolores Street, only to be struck by a
car. Mary Schley has that one.

Pacific Grove is starting an ambitious project to keep
storm runoff from carrying pollution to Monterey Bay. A
senior citizen rescued her dog from an attacking raccoon
by grabbing the beast and giving it the heave-ho. Will
helicopter tours be coming soon to Carmel Valley
airport? In our real estate section, Paul Brocchini and
Mark Ryan say the market is still good, but not as good
as it was three months ago. And my editorial offers a
way to bring more light and less heat to development
controversies.

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